Method and system for predicting road profile

• US 6,233,510 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology LLC (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Original Assignee: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Hughes, Thomas, Miller, Steven R., Platner, David K., Ledesma, Ragnar H., Reynolds, Mark P., Williams, Monte G., Burmeister, Kurt A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US09/419,484
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 701/37, 701/80, 348/118, 382/104, 382/108, 342/73, 342/70-72
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 13/16 having dynamic absorbers as main damping means, i.e. spring-mass system vibrating out of phase
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/25 Dynamic damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/82 Ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2500/10 Damping action or damper
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A method and system for predicting the condition of a road to be travelled by a vehicle includes a measurement device, such as a laser or machine vision system, disposed at a front of the vehicle for measuring a vertical elevation of a portion of the road at a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle. A control unit, in communication with the measurement device, has control logic for predicting the condition of the road to be travelled by the vehicle based on the measured vertical elevation and controlling an aspect of the vehicle, such as the vehicle'"'"'s suspension system, based on the predicted road condition.

Claims

1. A method for predicting the condition of a road to be traveled by a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a condition of a portion of the road at a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle;

predicting the condition of the road to be traveled by the vehicle based on the determined condition;

controlling the vehicle based on the predicted road condition;

said vehicle having a suspension system with a computer-controlled component associated with a rear axle for varying a stiffness of the suspension system; and

wherein controlling the vehicle includes the step of controlling the computer-controlled component associated with said rear axle by sensing a motion of a front axle to determine a level of activity of said front axle and controlling the computer controlled component based on said predicted condition of the road and a level of activity of said front axle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the determined condition is the vertical elevation of the road which is determined by the steps of:

transmitting a signal ahead of the vehicle at a known first time;

receiving the signal at the vehicle at a second time; and

determining a difference between the first time and the second time.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein determining the difference includes performing a triangulation technique on the difference to determine surface roughness of the road to be travelled by the vehicle.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining the condition of the road comprises:

receiving an image of the portion of the road, the image having varying characteristics based on the roughness of the road.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the varying characteristics include varying shades of color.

6. A system for predicting the condition of a road to be traveled by a vehicle, the system comprising:

a measurement device disposed at a front of the vehicle for determining a condition of a portion of the road at a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle;

a control unit in communication with the measurement device having control logic for predicting the condition of the road to be traveled by the vehicle based on the determined condition and controlling the vehicle based on the predicted road condition, said vehicle having a suspension system with a computer-controlled component for varying the stiffness of said suspension system and wherein said control unit in controlling the vehicle is operative to control said computer-controlled component, said computer-controlled component being associated with a rear axle of the vehicle, said vehicle further including a front axle, and wherein a motion sensor is mounted on said front axle and is in communication with said control unit for sensing a level of activity of said front axle, said control unit being operative to control said computer-controlled component associated with said at least one rear axle based on a predicted condition of the road and the level of activity of said front axle.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein the measurement device measures the vertical elevation of the road and is further operative to transmit a signal ahead of the vehicle at a known first time and receive the signal at the vehicle at a second time and wherein the control logic, in predicting the condition of the road, is further operative to determine a difference between the first time and the second time.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the measurement device, in determining the difference, is further operative to perform a triangulation technique on the difference to determine surface roughness of the road to be travelled by the vehicle.

9. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein the measurement device is a laser.

10. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein the measurement device measures the vertical elevation of the road and is further operative to receive an image of the portion of the road, the image having varying characteristics based on the roughness of the road.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the varying characteristics include varying shades of color.

12. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein the measurement device is a machine vision system.